HRMC CareerLaunch

As economic growth remains at a standstill for most industries, job seekers are increasingly pursuing industries that have stabilized, or those that appear to offer greater employment security.  The healthcare industry has experienced the greatest increase in employment, and, according to newly released employment projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), it will add the most jobs through 2012.

Although the majority of positions within the healthcare sector are, in fact, clinical positions, I’m not suggesting you enroll in medical or nursing school to pursue a clinical career!  There are many non-clinical, management, and administrative support roles, such as in finance, marketing, human resources, and IT, among others. 

One of the biggest challenges in breaking into healthcare is a lack of direct industry experience.  By incorporating some advanced research and applying a strategy of networking, you will significantly improve your potential for getting noticed by recruiters and hiring managers, even though they may prefer candidates with industry experience.

Assess Your Transferable Skills

Take a step back and review your work history, experiences, technical skills, and professional core competencies.  To determine which are transferable and valuable to the healthcare industry, review and study the job descriptions (relative to your discipline—finance, HR, marketing, etc.) that are posted online.

1. Use a job lead aggregator, such as www.indeed.com, to review many job posting sites at the same time.

2. Start with your typical search for jobs based on your discipline and level, then search nationwide to broaden your research results.  Require specific industry-identifying words in the description, such as HEALTHCARE, “HEALTH CARE,” or HOSPITAL.

3. Copy the content of 10 to 15 “best match” job descriptions into a Word document.  Carefully review the content and identify the requirements that “mirror” your experience and skills.  Document those that are most common among all the postings.  These are your core transferable skills.

4. Finally, determine how to articulate these transferable skills to healthcare recruiters and hiring managers.

Industry Research

Become familiar with the “biggest players” in the local healthcare community (independent hospitals, healthcare systems, managed care, medical schools, residential care, etc.).  Use tools like www.indeed.com and www.simplyhired.com to determine those with the most employment activity.  Cross-reference what you find with LinkedIn to determine who you may know within these organizations to provide further insight and assist you in your new career goal.

People Research

Using similar search keywords as those above, use LinkedIn to find people currently employed within healthcare related to your area of expertise (finance, HR, etc.).  Furthermore, if you connect with people who have recently (1-3 years) transitioned their career into healthcare, you will gain an insider’s viewpoint of the challenges and learning curves when navigating this new environment.

By incorporating this process, you will discover ways to minimize the perceived gap of your experience relative to the healthcare community.  This process will naturally improve your visibility within influential circles of professionals and executives in the industry.  And, as I’ve told my clients for over two decades:  It’s NOT who you know…it’s who knows YOU!

The fiscal year for many companies begin in January, and if their new employment budget allows for new hires, they may have already begun their search for candidates!  And if that doesn’t inspire your holiday job search activity, remember:  recruiters are ALWAYS actively seeking great candidates.  Too idealistic?  Then consider the holidays your opportunity to stand out from the crowd by applying a few tips:

Party Time - Parties are ideal for schmoozing with family, friends, and business acquaintances.  You never know who will produce your next job lead.  Attend as many events as you can reasonably fit into your calendar.  Make it a point to listen more than talk, work the entire room, and don’t forget to have your business cards ready to share!

NO Grinchiness! - Exude confidence with a positive attitude and demeanor everywhere you are seen, heard, or read!  Get excited about the opportunities ahead of you and get into the holiday spirit.  That excitement will rub off on the people around you and make you stand out among the desperate masses.

Holiday Cards - A basic “Happy Holidays” or “Happy New Year” card is a nice reminder that you are still in the job hunt.  An upbeat personal note, along with your business card, is a great way to keep YOU in the front of their mind.  If you prefer a more eco-friendly approach, consider sending a short inspirational message as a “holiday greeting” to your entire network.  Don’t send the emails en masse, but consider a quick personal note for each!

Virtual Profile - Update your LinkedIn profile and build upon the contacts you currently have.  This is a great time to connect with long-lost friends and acquaintances and wish them a happy and successful New Year.  Remember, every time you add a contact/update to your profile, your LinkedIn connections get an update about YOU!

Planes, Trains and Automobiles - If your holiday travels include destinations that are potential job targets, plan ahead by notifying potential employers and letting them know you’ll be in town.  The “out-of-towner” has the psychological advantage over someone locally since their time is limited and people will be more accommodating.  Not traveling?  Don’t exclude local employers, because you may enjoy easier access to decision makers who are actually in the office, since holiday vacations have yet to kick in.

Quiet Days - If your networking activities slim down during the holidays, take a step back and revisit all aspects of your transition (resume, LI profile, portfolio, target company lists and activities, automated job searches, overall search process goals and metrics).  Ask yourself, Am I set up to hit the ground running in the new year?

Relax and Enjoy - During this time of year, it's also important to take some time for you and your family.  Do relax a little and don't forget to enjoy the holiday season--that's important for all of us, whether we are job seeking or not!

Happy Holidays to all!